TheBanyanTree: downtime up high

[Sachet]

I hiked alone for three hours on Sunday. Alone enough to be by myself, 
but aware that other people would be on the same trail so I don't have 
to worry about being too isolated. I chose a strenuous trail that I know 
well because I wanted to test my level of endurance at this point. It 
had been several months since I had dared to try it. May, in fact.

Lost the trail after a few yards...blocked with 
trees...mudslides...piles of dirt and branches hid holes, so I had to be 
extra careful and hike around a lot of obstacles that are never usually 
present. We'd had a lot of wind and rain last week. A tad bit more 
strenuous than I had planned, but dayum it felt good to do it anyway and 
not hurt!

Found the clear trail along the bottom of the cliffs and was frustrated 
to have lost my water bottle somewhere down the mountainside. But, still 
had the chocolate, so all was well. <g> I slowly made my way back up to 
the top, greeting rock climbers and other hikers along the way.

Laying flat on the top of my favorite cliff, looking down far below to 
the trail that I had been hiking on.... wind gently blowing all around, 
swirling my hair into my face...able to peek into the sun with my hair 
filtering the brightness of the setting sun.

Water drip-dropping from this teeny tiny stream going over the cliff to 
form a cascading sheen down the side. As many times as I have hiked that 
trail, I've never seen that stream present or the way it made the rock 
faces so incredibly beautiful in a different way than before. It 
fascinates me that each time I go there is something new and wonderful 
to discover.

The sunset.... the massive giant star dropping from the sky so quickly I 
could see it happening. How many times can we gaze at the sun and 
actually see its movement?? It had turned that unique shade of 
glowing-ember orange that showcases its power, but yet is dimmed enough 
that our eyes can still look on in awe.

I stayed until the lights started popping on down below me in the 
surrounding countryside. I always think they look like fairy lights, 
because they just magically appear where you didn't even know there was 
a house or road.


...Sachet

Snapfish Pics
http://tinyurl.com/y3n93d**